Foreign
TURKISH Government on Tuesday ordered the detention of 318 suspected supporters of U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen in connection with the 2016 failed coup he was accused of orchestrating, state news agency Anadolu reported.
The suspects, most of them from the military, are accused of having links to Gulen. The crackdown on his alleged supporters has been raging on since the abortive plot took place in July 2016.
The raids took place in several provinces, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara. According to Anadolu, in the Aegean city of Izmir, 167 active or former soldiers are being sought, while Istanbul’s public prosecutor has ordered the arrest of 84 suspects.
Nearly 200 people have been detained while police search for the remaining suspects across the country.
Turkey considers Gulen’s movement a terrorist organisation and says his network has infiltrated key public institutions for decades to control what the government calls a parallel state. However, Gulen denied the allegations. (dpa/NAN)
– Jun. 16, 2020 @ 17:12 GMT |
Tags: Turkey orders detention of over 300 suspected Gulen supporters
